The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-05-21

! was 1ull Jlme Tor EN- 10 TGt urn. lney
had a parting glass, and, in half an
hour or so, had crossed the wide sea
and dropped little Con l'pretty we'll.
thank you, by this time) Oh the precise
spot he had left on the evening before
He had been drinking out If a beautiful
golden cup in the cellar. and, by some
mistake or other, it had slipped up the
| sleeve OF the large loose coat lie Wore,
and so he brought it home with him.
Not that Con was not honest enough
but surely a man may be excused foI
taking a cup too much III awine eel.
lar.
Con was soon awakened by the
warm sunbeams playing upon his face.
AT first, he thought he had been dream
ing, aud he might have thought SO t.
his dying day, but that, when he got On
his feet, the golden cup rolled on the
road before him, and was proof positive
that all was Il reality.
He said his prayers directly, be-
tween him and harm. Then he put up
the cup and walked home. " here. as
his little donkey had returned on the
previous night without him, the family
had given him up as lost or drowned.
Indeed, some Of them had sagaciously
suggested the probability Of his having
gone Off for good with the fairies
Nov, dos not my story convince
you that there must De such things AS
fairies? 1t is not more than twenty
years since heard Con OKeefe tell
the whole story from beginning to end
and he'd say or swear with any man
that the whole of it was as true as
gospel And, as sure as my name is
Patrick Mccain, do believe that Con
was in strange company that night"
1 vent,,red to say to Mr.. Mccain
that, being yet incredulous, [ must
| have better evidence than little CONS
own declaration.
| TO he sure you shall, said he. "Was
not the golden cup taken up to Barry S.
fort, and to be seen--as seen it was-by
| the whole country?o
| I answered that, Certainly, if the
cup is TO be seen there, the case is ma
terially altered"
II did not say that the cup is at
Barry s-fort. said Mccain, 'sonly that
it was. The end Of the story, indeed,
is nearly rs strange as the beginning
When Con OKeefe came back from his
wonderful excursion, no one believed a
word of what he said; for though it was
whispered that he was great with the
fairies, vet, when the matter came
tangibly before them, they did not credit
it. But Con soon settled their doubts;
he brought forward tbs cup, and there
was no gainsaying that evidence
''Mr. Barry took. the up into his own
keeping, and, the name and residence
OF the French lord being engraved
upon it, determined las in honor bcund)
to send it hoA.e again. So he went off
to Cove, without any delay. taking Con
with him; and, as there luckily was
vessel going off to France that very day,
he sent Off little Con with the cup and
his very best compliments.
Now, Che cup was great favorite
with the French lord (being a piece of
family plate, given to one of his ances-
tors by one Of the old kings Of France,
whose life he had saved in battle), and
nothing could equal the hubbub and
confusion that arose when it was miss
ing. His lordship called for some wine
at dinner, and great was his anger when
the lackey handed it to him in glass,
declaring that they could not find the
golden goblet. He threw glass, and
wine, and all. at the servants head
flew into terrible passion-and swore,
by all that was good and bad, that he
would not take anything stronger than
water until the cup was OH the table
again; and that, if it was not sorthcom-
ing in a week, he'd turn Off every ser
want he had, without paying them their
wages, OF giving them character.
1.-The cup was we'll searched for, but
all to no purpose, as you may suppose.
AT last, the week came to All end-all
the servants had their clothes packed
up, to be off in the morning. His lord
ship was getting dreadfully tired of
drinking cold water, and the whole
house was, as enc may say, turned
topsy-turvy, when, to the delight and
admiration of all, in came Con Q'Keefe,
from Ireland. with letter from Mr..
Barry and the cup in his fist.
II rather think they welcomed him.
His lordship made it a point to get
glorious that night. and, as in duty
bound. the entire household followed
his example, with all the pleasure in
life. You may be certain that Con
PLAYED away finely at the wine-you
know the fairies had made him free of
the cellar-so he knew the taste Of
liquor, and relished it too. There can
be no doubt that there was a regular
Notification in the chateau that night.
econ remained in France for a